Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 9:00 AM EDT

"She is considered the first legitimate challenger to Feeney, whom Democratic insiders see as vulnerable because of criticism targeting him as one of the "most corrupt" members of Congress." Daytona Beach News-Journal, October 11, 2007.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

6:30pm to 8:00 p.m.

Sheraton Airport Hotel

Windows Room

1825 Griffin Road

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301

Host $4600 • Sponsor $1000 • Friend $500 • Supporter $100-250

(donations in any amount appreciated)

I'm glad I didn't, because really, it would appall me to violate long-standing tradition like this. I'm a big believer in habeas corpus, I despise the designated hitter rule, and after all, it's my people that Tevye sings about. So when DCCC Executive Director Brian Wolff says:

Brian Wolff, executive director of the DCCC, says the bloggers are making "much ado about nothing," noting that it's "customary" for members to remain neutral in races involving GOP members of their respective congressional delegations.

I have to wonder what Debbie Wasserman Schultz is thinking. Clearly she didn't get the message.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz is attending a fundraising reception to HONOR Suzanne Kosmas, a Democrat running for Congress against someone, Tom Feeney (a Republican), who is described by Democrats as one of the most corrupt members of Congress. I'm just reading what I saw in that copy of the invitation.

So, Wasserman-Schultz had the AUDACITY to go to a fundraiser for a fellow Democrat running against a 'corrupt' Republican. Now, I really don't understand what your problems are with this woman!

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (and Kendrick Meek) have both recused themselves from supporting the three South Florida Cuban Democrats running against the three Cuban Republicans. The DCCC has defended DWS, saying it's customary for representatives to remain neutral in the re-election campaigns of the other members of their state delegations. Yet, here DWS is campaigning against a member of her state delegation. There's some hypocrisy, here.

DWS had previously claimed that it was gauche for her to campaign against Florida Republicans because it was not done in proper society. Well, bingo, here she is campaigning against Tom Feeney, a Florida Republican. The "rule" is obviously some made up clap trap.

The problem, of course, is that DWS will only campaign against some Florida Republicans, even though she holds a high level position within the DCCC. The Cuban trio of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and the Diaz-Balart brothers are protected. Or Feeney is somehow persona non grata. Perhaps,it is a bit of both.

Feeney, you see, was a particularly obnoxious leader of the state Senate who threatened to install a separate slate of Bush electors in 2000 no matter how any recount turned out. He never did it but he would have and like Katherine Harris he was rewarded with a specially gerrymandered seat in the House designed just for him.

Dividing Florida into nice Republicans who have their seats for life and naughty Republicans is arrogant as all get out. It should be up to the voters in Florida to decide who represents them and not be some compact among the political elite. What makes this worse, of course, is that in the highly gerrymandered world of Florida districting all the Democratic seats with the exception of the two captured in 2006 are super safe. DWS personally benefits from this behavior although Democrats as a whole and the local voters do not.

I totally agree that DWS made big f***ing mistake with her highly quotable bouquet to Ileana Ros-Lehtenin and then declaring that she would NOT do anything to help the good Dems running against in her area. Then the DCCC was put on the spot for insufficient aggressiveness reminding us all of the capitulation Congress and sort of dropped the ball.

By now I'd think the DCCC and DWS might well like a way out of the mess they got themselves into. But now we have a two-part issue:
1) Should the DCCC and DWS find a way to change her ways quietly and give support the three South Florida challengers?
2) Must DWS be made to change her ways with some public crow-eating statement?

If we go for 1), we might give this issue a rest soon, to allow DWS a graceful exit from the corner her wrongheaded statements have put her in.

Brian Wolff, executive director of the DCCC, says the bloggers are making "much ado about nothing," noting that it's "customary" for members to remain neutral in races involving GOP members of their respective congressional delegations.